The present invention enables a user to retrieve his or her desired one of a number of image programs easily and to view it quickly.An image retrieval assisting apparatus (100) for assisting retrieval of broadcast contents in a broadcast-contents-recording/reproducing apparatus or a broadcast receiving set comprises a classification criterion information storage portion (21) for storing classification criterion for classifying broadcast contents into a plurality of categories, program information acquisition means (23) for acquiring program information of said broadcast contents, program information classification means (27) for classifying said program information into said categories according to said classification criterion, an HDD (29) for storing said classified program information, and display means (31) for displaying said categories defined by said classification criterion horizontally on a monitor screen in a selectable manner and displaying only the program information fallen in a selected category vertically on said monitor screen in a selectable manner.